Family Obligations
by EternalSorrow
Summary: Visiting the remains of her village, Sango is confronted with her clan's past mistake.
1. Unsettled Past

A/N: A new story with a new pairing.

Disclaimer: Um, no.

**Unsettled Past**

"We're here, Kilala" Sango softly announced as the two companions crested the hill and looked out upon the small clearing.

With Kagome's coming exams, the Inuyasha group had decided to take a short break from hunting the shards. The miko had returned to her own time to cram several weeks of studying into a few days, Inuyasha and Shippo and taken it upon themselves to stay at the well should she return early, and Miroku had gone to visit his perverse master during the vacation.

Sango and Kilala had also separated from the group, but for a more somber reason. She had requested her friends not ask her destination, and they had hesitantly allowed her leave with only their usual parting farewells. The tajiki did not want the pity-filled expressions she had seen too many times to appear on her friends' faces, and she knew they would come had she told them of her journey.

Sango had decided to return to her village for a solitary reunion.

After a few days walk she had reached the edge of her family's ancestral lands and her heart had both lifted and fell at the short distance which remained. Kilala had reacted with an encouraging call and they had moved forward toward the village.

Her sorrow met her at the gates.

The houses, charred from the fire, stood as frozen testaments to the end of her clan. The walls which remained had begun to decay and the roofs which had survived were collapsing upon the houses. The trees from the surrounding forest were beginning to reclaim the land as shoots were scattered about the stone walks which had led to front porches.

The village was silent as the graves which stood at the far end of the fence as the two companions entered through what remained of the front gates. Though the rain had fallen many times since their departure, here and there were still visible the signs of a violent end as dark blood stains littered the wood and rocks.

Sango took in the view, and her heart tightened in sadness as she finally reached the place she had once called home.

The great doors were broken and the shojo screens were now in tatters as she walked up to the rotting structure. Out of habit she left her shoes upon the ground, though her socks were quickly covered in filth as she walked up the weathered steps onto the open porch. She stepped into the main room of the home and found herself not in the comforting home she so fondly remembered, but within a space which no longer held the memories she knew.

The mats were filled with mold spores and a great cloud of dust came up as she stepped along the floor coverings. The walls showed the bugs which had infested the wood and spots of sun drifted into the room through the holes.

As she explored the house, Sango looked at the small details she had noticed as a child and as she found each of her treasured memories her heart grew more at ease. The notch in the main beam stood proudly surrounded by the termite damage, while her favorite screen lay untouched while the others had fallen apart. The sun still showed through the dining room, but now leaves were scattered across the floor and bugs lay dead in the corners.

Everything was changed, and yet not.

Sango soon found her steps directed toward the room she had once shared with her brother, and as she stepped through the tattered screen her sorrow was rekindled.

Two small mats lay in the center of the room, one larger than the other. They had been the sitting mats Kohaku and she had used to discuss the day's training, and she had forgotten to place them in the closet the day of the village's silence.

Now they stood as testaments to a time when such trivial chores had been what she had known, and her world had been a daily routine of familial duties. They were the same as the rest of the village; forgotten and slowly withering away against harsh time and change.

Kilala meowed softly as her master merely stood staring at the two mats. Sango was aroused by the concerned tone and she shook her head to calm the youkai's fears.

"No, it's okay" she softly answered as she placed her bag on the ground and took her pail in hand. "We should get some water before the sun sets."

The two lonely warriors took the familiar path down to the stream, though the way was now clouded by weeds and dense brush. They fought their way to the water and, after taking their needed amount, returned back the way they had come as the sun beyond began to set.

"Perhaps tomorrow we will visit their graves" Sango quietly suggested to her companion as they arrived at the large, dark house.

Shadows spread out across the ground as they walked up the steps and toward the room which would be their sleeping quarters. The familiar sights which had before given such comfort were now hidden by the darkness as they passed through the rooms. Sango quickly readied the simple meal of soup as she also lit the andon she had carried in her pack.

The small, paper lamp did little to illuminate the corners of the room, but the flame gave her spirits some comfort as she ate her soup in silence. Kilala appeared to be curled up next to her, but every so often her ears which twitch with awareness.

Her supper was soon finished and Sango spread herself out upon the blanket on the floor. For the longest time she merely stared at the ceiling and listened to the sounds of mice scurrying about beneath the boards and insects crawling along the floor. The musty smell of the mold and decay tickled her nose in a grotesque manner and all about she was reminded of the fallen village.

But she could recall better times when such a night would have been filled with laughter and celebration. A group of tajiki would have returned from a successful hunt and brought their trophy back to the village in a simple but proud procession. The scent of burning andon would have wafted through the air as the adults would have given honor to the great hunters, and children from their bedroom windows would have been swinging bells in their own little celebration.

Sango suddenly stopped her musing as a familiar sound rang in her ears. She raised herself onto her elbows and strained her hearing, wondering if she had merely imagined the sound.

Again it came.

The tiny ding of a single bell again sounded through the suddenly still night.

Kilala had also raised her head and was quietly growling as she looked to the door.

"What is it, Kilala?" Sango asked as she and her youkai stood to their feet.

The chiming seemed to grow dimmer, and she quickly picked up her hiraikotsu which she had wisely brought and ran from the room. The small chime was still weakening as she raced outside the building, but she could still follow the sound as she placed her shoes on and sprinted out among the houses.

Kilala followed at her side in her large form and she was still quietly growling beneath her breath. The two hunters darted amidst the village along a winding path that led them past the graves of the dead and through a little-used gate which led out into the thick forest.

At the edge of the trees, upon a spot overgrown with brush and grass, the sound suddenly stopped.

Sango looked around for any signs of the strange bell sound, but Kilala continued to stare ahead and appeared to be softly hissing at the ground a few yards from where they stood.

"Can you sense something?" Sango asked as she took a step forward.

As she moved ahead the neko youkai suddenly let out a giant yowl and a small light appeared not more than a few feet away. The tajiki readied her hiraikotsu as she awaited an attack, but she was shocked to find a small, old man standing within a small radius of light.

And she could see through his body.

"Down there, youkai" the man commanded in a powerful tone as he scowled at the neko.

With his appearance Kilala had jumped between the stranger and her master, and she was vehemently hissing at the man as he stood unimpressed by her show of loyalty.

"A shame upon our family to hold such a beast" he muttered as his eyes were cast to Sango. "Why do you keep such a creature?" he harshly questioned.

"That is none of your concern" Sango replied as she found her composure. She could not turn from the transparent stranger, but his words brought life to her mind. "What are you? Some sort of youkai?"

The man frowned at her final question.

"Do not insult me" he snapped, but his composure quickly returned. "My name is Arashi, and I was once a human like yourself."

"Once?" she repeated with suspicion as he gave a frustrated sigh.

"My body died several hundred years ago" he explained to the disbelief of his audience.

"Then why are you not at rest?" Sango questioned as Kilala grew restless before her.

"Because there is a curse upon me" he revealed as he suddenly stepped forward.

Kilala let out a giant yell and jumped at the strange to protect her master, and both Sango and herself were shocked as she sailed through the figure. He seemed unaware of the neko's leap and rushed toward Sango.

The tajiki swung her hiraikotsu to knock the man aside but the bone merely passed through his head and she found herself locked in his grasp as he grabbed her shoulders. She dropped her hiraikotsu as his cold fingers dug into her simple clothing and a chill as cold as ice swept through her body. She struggled to free herself but found his grip to be unbreakable.

The neko youkai swiftly turned and charged toward the man attacking her friend, the flames of her tails high in anger.

"No Kilala!" Sango ordered as she tried to find breath through the cold. She turned her eyes upon the former human who held her in a grip she could not escape. "What do you want?" she asked as she relaxed her body to ease the discomfort.

"Release" he pleaded in a tone weaker than he had held. "We all need release."

"We?" she questioned, but her query was quickly answered.

The forest was lit with soft light as dozens of people suddenly began to pour forth from the trees. Their faces were filled with sorrow as they silently crowded around the three main characters. Kilala looked about in confusion as she sniffed the air and found nothing to follow, yet her gaze told her these people were present.

Sango, however, noticed in horror that amidst the many strangers she could recognize the residents of her village, from those who had died of natural causes to those who had fallen in battle.

"What magic is this?!" she questioned as the man barked out a cold laugh. "They are dead!"

"It is not magic, but a curse" he explained as his grip tightened upon her arms and she grimaced from the cold chills. "You are the only one who can free us of this hateful promise."

"What promise?" Sango asked in confusion as his words made little sense to her.

"The promise we made during our lives" he began as his hands began to loosen upon her shoulders. His face showed the wear of the centuries as he shook his head. "It was for the good of the village that we made this promise, but now we cannot rid ourselves of it!"

"You are making no sense!" Sango yelled in frustration as the man grimaced.

"Then listen well" he suddenly calmly commanded as he let go and stepped back. Sango rubbed her arms and nodded for him to continue. "This happened during the youth of the village. We had been ordered by one of our first clients to rid a large area of a powerful youkai, and with arrogance we foolishly accepted the mission. The journey was long but finally we managed to track the beast and meet him in open battle.

And then we knew our folly, for he was stronger than we could handle."

He shook his head in sorrow, but continued his tale.

"The youkai destroyed most of us without effort, and what few remained were too injured to fight" he explained as he lowered his head in shame. "Our leader could think of nothing else but to barter with the monster but at the first the beast would take nothing we had to offer, until one final, desperate suggestion was made.

In exchange for our lives, we would give the daughter of the clan leader's family to the youkai."

Sango drew back in disgust at the retelling of their cowardice, and Arashi showed a hint of a smile as he understood her emotions.

"We would have given our souls to the beast in exchange for our lives had we been able" the old man admitted. "But his interest was great and the oath was given upon the mixing of blood between our leader and the beast. The youkai would have it no other way."

Sango's hands were coiled into fists at her sides as she shook with the story of her ancestors. She could hardly believe whether the tale was slander or true, but the ghostly group which stood around her held testament to its certainty.

"And what did you do to the daughter?" she asked in a voice which trembled.

"We were to meet the lord at the site of the blood-oath" the ghost explained as he seemed to ponder his memories. "But he never showed. We simply returned to the village and blessed our good fortune."

"But the oath still existed" Sango deduced and the man nodded.

"As we died we became as you see us, spirits trapped to the village" he admitted with a heavy sigh. "We cannot leave without fulfilling the oath." His eyes then turned hard and he looked to Sango. "The oath given by your ancestor."

"My ancestor?" she softly repeated in disbelief as she shook her head.

"Your clan has always held the title of leader, correct?" he spoke aloud without expecting an answer. "And with you as the last of our village, we have come to show you your duty to your people" he spoke as the rest slowly nodded in agreement. "You must offer your services to the house of the youkai, or we will never find rest."

"How can I believe this?" Sango questioned in suspicion as she slowly reached down and took her hiraikotsu in hand. The slain villagers, the unbelievable story, she could not trust such foolish tales. "What if you're lying me?" she asked as she raised her weapon in readiness.

"I am afraid not, my child" a person suddenly spoke from the crowd of people.

Sango's eyes widened at the sound of the voice as a figure stepped from the throng. Tears filled her eyes as she tentatively moved forward.

"F...father?" she asked as she watched the figure of her father smile at her word.

"I am afraid so" he replied as he moved to stand not more than a few feet from his child. "And I am also afraid that Arashi speaks the truth."

Sango barely heard what her father spoke as she reached a shaking hand toward his transparent figure. Her father whom she had never expected to see again, the man who she had always looked up to, was here before her eyes.

"Is it...is it really you?" she begged to know as she took a step forward.

As she moved his figure flickered, as did all the group surrounding Kilala and her. She looked around in confusion as their forms slowly began to fade from her sight, and she frantically turned to her father.

"What's happening?!" she exclaimed as her father smiled sadly.

"We have little time here in the living world" he explained as he held up a hand in a farewell gesture. "But please remember what you have been told tonight. We wait for your decision with hopeful hearts."

Her father's outline was barely visible as she spoke, and Sango rushed forward to grasp his hand. She could only catch air, however, as his figure seemed to flicker against the wind and she found herself moving through where he had stood.

For a single moment, though, Sango felt his presence and a sense of warmth washed over her as she was comforted by his lingering spirit. But the joy did not last long.

What remained of her father slowly faded into the void of death and she was again left alone and isolated on that night of cursed spirits.


	2. Regretful Actions

A/N: Another chapter turned out for the wonderful readers and reviewers.

**Regretful Actions**

Sango stared at where her father had stood, the empty area a testament to his absence. All trace of the ghostly visitors was gone, and not even a depression in the ground told her where they had stood. With their removal the night was again quiet and still as the dark creatures resumed their soft calls.

Kilala cautiously walked up to her master, her form again small as the danger passed, and she quietly meowed in worry.

"I'm...I'm all right, Kilala" Sango tried to comfort as she suddenly felt herself sway. "I just...I just need some rest" she explained as she turned and heading toward the gate.

As she reached the entrance Sango clutched at the wooden posts which made up the defenses to the village. Her breathing was beginning to grow ragged and she could feel her heart suddenly beat rapidly.

The confrontation with the spirits of the past had taken its toll.

Her body was experiencing the full wave of shock as the numbness she had felt during the meeting was withering away, and leaving her with a sense of exhaustion. She shook off the drowsiness in her mind and stood straight as her youkai companion resumed her adult form and offered her back.

Sango willingly took the kind offer.

The two companions soon reached her childhood home and Sango slid off Kilala's back and onto the ground. She had regained some composure and was able to walk through the doors, but with her weakness she neglected removing her shoes and instead wandered through the house toward her old bedroom.

The sight was now more comfort than sorrow as she slowly fell to the floor upon her knees and stared straight ahead as she tried to comprehend the night's events.

Kilala and she had seen the spirits of her ancestors, and the warning they had brought was dire in its urgency. They had proclaimed her their last hope for rest, and had insinuated that her sacrifice for the village was necessary for her to undertake.

"Kilala, I don't understand" Sango spoke to her friend as she looked to the small neko who now sat at her side. "What if my father's soul is truly trapped in this life?"

"Meow" Kilala forlornly replied as she blinked at the confused tajiki.

"You're right" she softly answered as she shook her head in disgust. "I need to find the truth before I leave the village."

"Meow" the neko encouraged as she eagerly stood to her feet.

"Father would have left records of our family's past hunts" she mused as she habitually took hold of her worn and dusty pillow and seated herself upon the remains. "There may be answers in those papers."

With her plans finalized she again resumed her efforts to sleep, but to no avail. The scene of the ghosts standing around her kept replaying in her mind and she could not shake the sense of utter hopelessness which had emanated from their spirits. They held nothing but despair for their continued existence, and it was she whom they had reached out to in their last hour.

The night was sleepless as the sun finally rose on the empty houses.

Sango, her body weary but her mind alert, went to the room where her father had kept his papers. She walked to the cabinet in which he had stored his professional works and kneeled down to find the lock he had used still held fast. With a sigh she nimbly broke the rusted but sturdy mechanism and opened the tall doors.

Her father had been a well-organized leader, and she found his place of work to be no different than his normal habits. Quickly she found the records she sought, stacked away at the back of the lowest shelf and hidden behind some boxes filled with payments.

She wondered why he held such important items in such an inconvenient area.

Sango carefully removed the fragile parchment and set the scroll upon the low table in the room. She unrolled the item and broached over the contents, searching through the different handwritings of the various generations for the oldest reference which had been recorded. However, she found a startling surprise as she reached the end of the paper.

"A section is missing..." she softly whispered to herself as she again looked at the torn edge of the record.

"Meow" Kilala agreed. She sniffed the scroll for a moment and then turned her nose up into the air. "Meow" she repeated as she began to walk around the room.

"Can you find it, Kilala?" Sango asked as she followed the small neko along the boards.

Soon Kilala stopped, her nose hovering over the ground, in an inconspicuous corner of the room. She began to paw at the wooden planks, and soon her claws caught on a loose area.

"What is it?" her master questioned as she stooped and took hold of the small piece of uplifted board.

To her surprise the wood gave way and revealed a hidden box which lay against the foundation of the house. The square box appeared to be older than the building, as the boards were aged far beyond the rest of the home.

Sango peered into the darkened area, and cautiously she reached her hand into the space and searched for any objects. To her pleasure her fingers grasped several items and she pulled out a piece of torn paper. She noted the space had not kept the document very well, and so she carefully spread the fragile document out upon the floor.

The paper was a record of some kind and as she broached over the contents, the name of Arashi appeared several times.

"This must be it" she spoke aloud as she took hold of the historical document she had retrieved from the cabinet and compared the torn edges of the pieces.

They did not align.

Sango scowled in vexation as she looked at the two papers, each written in a different handwriting. Then she recalled the other objects she had felt in the hidden space and she eagerly reached in and retrieved all she could find. She spread them out before her and wondered at the puzzle.

The pieces of the parchment had obviously been torn asunder by an unknown hand and hidden away in the compartment, but to what purpose?

Silently Sango began to place the fragments together in the correct order, a significant task with the many tattered papers she had found. Time had also taken its toll heavier on the hidden items and she found herself reading parts of the text to find if sentences aligned.

Slowly, as the day waned, a story began to appear, one already familiar to her.

The cursed blood oath of her village.

She read over the contents carefully as the tale told by her repeated itself in the aged papers set out on the floor. The retelling was more clear and terrifying in its truthfulness as her hands began to tremble. Each detail was exactly the same, save for the last bit of information written in an aged hand, different from the rest of the document. She could only assume the recorder had not deigned to finish the tale until much later in life, as they had penned the words at the far side in small characters.

The last details were new, and she read aloud what had been written.

"Our lord has died on this day. With his passing I am the last who witnessed the events recorded here. We have seen no return of the youkai who had demanded our ladyship and few care to read or listen to the tale. Perhaps soon the history will be but a forgotten legend, but the blood runs too thick through the lord's house. His heir, the young lord, was born after the swearing. I pray there will be no lasting consequences."

As Sango read the finale to the tale, night again fell upon the silent village.

She was startled from her reading as the last rays of the sun fell below the window and she was encased in darkness. She looked up to find the candle she had brought with her for light, and her eyes were startled by a soft glow coming from the doorway.

Slowly she turned her eyes upward and her breath caught as her father stood in the entrance, his back to her. His form was stiff as he slowly glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment, and then walked out and took a sharp turn to the left.

"Wait Father!" Sango cried out as she scattered the documents in her hurry to rise and capture her father's spirit.

Kilala followed in her small but quick form as Sango raced to the doorway and was able to see the glowing specter disappear around the corner of the building and toward the wooden defense. The young woman raced after her silent father as she watched him walk through the abandoned gate she had gone through the prior night, and for a moment she hesitated before she stepped through the way and found herself in the same spot.

However, no ghosts showed themselves.

The spirits of before made no appearance this time as the empty area lay silent, and even the woodland creatures had quieted. All was still as she looked about for her father, searching desperately for any sign of his presence.

Her eyes, though, fell upon an area of the ground which had recently been disturbed.

Cautiously Sango stepped forward, her ears attentive to any sound as she knelt down upon the moved earth. She noted that someone had dug a hole not more than a few inches into the soil, and with her hands she carefully began to dig herself. A short distance down her fingers hit a hard object, and she brushed aside the dirt to reveal her discovery.

A grinning skull looked back at her.

Kilala suddenly growled in warning as she took a menacing step toward the ghoulish find, but Sango seemed entranced by it's faceless expression and a strange insignia upon its forehead. The shape was like a fang, and the mark appeared to be only hovering above the surface of the bone.

She slowly reached out her right hand and for a moment her fingers hovered over the skull in hesitation as Kilala suddenly whimpered in reproach.

"I have to" she softly explained, though she didn't understand why she said those words.

Sango drew her hand closer to the image and softly let her hand touch the mark.

The burning began immediately.

The tajiki clutched at her hand as she felt the image edged as with a hot knife into her skin. She tilted her palm upward and watched the slow, agonizing process as the mark, carefully detailed, was etched into her hand. Her flesh blistered and flamed with pain greater than any wound she had ever before taken, and

Kilala could only watch her master clutch at her hand as her face twisted in agony. However, she growled when the mark came into her sight and she menacingly took a step forward with her hackles raised. Her instincts told her something was deathly wrong with the image upon her master's hand, and she was prepared for any sign of danger.

Then the pain slowly began to fade, and soon Sango relaxed as the burning sensation simmered to a dull throbbing. She looked at the mark, red from the inflamed skin, but she could tell the color would turn to white once the swelling had subsided. She flexed her fingers and found they had not been effected by the engraving.

However, Sango felt a strange intrusion with the presence of the burnt image. The presence was powerful, almost overbearing, as though a strong spirit had taken hold upon her soul.

Sango turned to the neko at her side, who softly meowed as though wondering if she were fine.

"What have we done, Kilala?" Sango quietly asked as they both looked at the image emblazoned on her hand.

Was it a mark of honor, or a scar of shame?


	3. Unknown Anxiety

A/N: Another chapter for those interested. A great thanks for the wonderful feedback!

**Unknown Anxiety**

Sango still cradled her arm against herself as she looked over the contents of the scroll by the light of the lantern. The pain had vanished as she had walked back to the house, but there still lingered some presence which made her uneasy.

The feeling, however, did not interfere with her objective as she repeatedly read over her find from the hidden box. The author's hint at future repercussions worried her, as the new burn upon her wrist was proof enough of some force at work.

And the outcome would be nothing less than the completion of the oath.

Finally her eyes became heavy with sleep and she had found nothing new with the parchment, so she stood and wandered back to her old room. Perhaps in the light of the new day she would be able to read more clues on the paper, so she laid her head down and prepared for slumber. Sango closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she relaxed her tense body and drifted into the realm of dreams and nightmares.

Her sleep, however, would not be the unbroken rest she sought.

Sango felt the familiar tinge of a dream beckoning her thoughts away from the deep slumber of peaceful sleep and into the world of twisted reality.

She stood in the center of her room where she lay, but now the atmosphere was changed. The wood upon the walls and floors were roughly hewn and, by their bright color, newly cut from the trees. The screens held no torn paper among the many panels and a simple mat not her own adorned the floor.

Sango suddenly heard voices, very loud, coming from the room beyond. With the door shut she cautiously moved over to the adjoining wall and settled herself on the floor to listen to the conversation.

"We must not disobey the youkai's orders, my lord" she heard a familiar voice plead. Sango could not place where she had heard the tone before. "There will be trouble brought upon the village."

"But how can I hand over my only daughter to such a creature?!" another man furiously demanded.

"Your voice, my lord" the other quickly replied. She felt as though eyes had fallen upon where she sat. "She may be inside."

"Then we will speak of this another time" she heard the second reply with both relief and pain. "Leave me" he spoke, and soon footsteps left the room.

Sango felt she could not move as the person stepped over to the room she occupied and opened the door beside where she stood. The shadow of a man entered the room. She could see nothing of his face, but the clothes he bore were of an antiquity long past her time.

"So you were listening?" the man spoke as he knelt down to be at level with her face.

Sango felt herself nod.

"Then you know what I must do" he spoke as he slowly reached out for her.

Then she woke up.

Sango sat up in bed, her clothes drenched in sweat as she wildly looked around for the strange man. Only the empty, dust-drenched room greeted her eyes and she breathed a sigh of relief. She could not understand why the dream had created such a sense of terror for her, but the memory was quickly fading and she felt foolish.

"I'm all right, Kilala" she soothed her worried companion, who had quickly risen at her awakening and now stood at her side. "Just a bad dream."

"Meow" the neko replied with some misgivings as she watched her mistress again lay down.

"I will be fine" Sango repeated as she closed her eyes and settled herself in for the remainder of the night.

True sleep, empty of dreams turned to nightmares, welcomed her in its arms as she drifted from consciousness. Tomorrow would be a better day for her, she was sure of it, and with her return to her friends she would feel more at ease.

And perhaps leaving the village would calm her thoughts.

The morning broke on a cloudy day as Sango awoke early and looked out through the torn screens. Rain threatened at any moment and she hurriedly packed her things, including the worn scroll which held the ghost's tale. She would consider it an heirloom of her clan, and a vital piece of information for herself.

When her bag was full Sango looked about the large house one final time. The only footprints on the ground were her own, lonely against the thick dust building up in the halls and corners. A slight breeze drafted through the house and she watched even those small bits of life start to disappear as sand shifted.

Though memories still lingered in the old wood and weathered papers, she knew time would make them vanish as the building was ravaged by the elements. Eventually the roof would collapse and the walls would fall down, and nothing more than an empty spot would remain of the house she had called home.

A few loose tears silently slid down her face as she could look no further and turned from the painful sight.

The clouds were growing more ominous with each passing moment, and she knew the she did not have much time before the storm came. Quickly she passed through the neglected yard and along the deserted streets to the main gate. Kilala followed at her side and they spied the gate and walked through the broken remains with but a single pause.

Sango could not help but look back at the abandoned village one final time, at the worn posts and empty homes. No lights lit the familiar windows, and the sentries at the gates were long buried in their graves. There would be no more cries of children racing through the paths nor mothers calling them in for supper.

And no one stood to wave her off.

Kilala let her mistress have her peace with her place of birth as she herself turned her eyes upon the village of so many memories. She meowed softly as a goodbye, and the noise shook Sango from her own visions of a dead life.

Tears of rain slowly began to fall.

The tajiki sighed at her reminisces and set herself down the path to where her friends surely waited with open arms. Her new family would be there with smiles and hails of joy as she returned to their ranks, a friend and ally on their journeys.

But her old family was hard to forget, and she felt something more than longing for her friends pulling her from her former home.

She felt she was taking more than new memories and a burnt scar from the village.

The trip through the mountains was damp as the rain followed Sango's path down the muddy trail. She found even her trained feet had trouble along the sifting road and more than once she found herself sliding down on her bottom. Kilala helped in her transformed state, but she could not carry them away from the area because of the storm beginning to thunder overhead.

The lightning soon began to flash and boom as the day vanished and was replaced by darkness. The noonday had hardly began to approach before the way became impassible and Sango was forced to find shelter for them both.

Help was quickly at hand in the form of a small, dry cave some distance from the path. She could see it through the dense trees as the lightning flashed for a moment, and with her eyes focused on the spot she began to trudge toward the area.

Sango was half the distance when she suddenly felt a pain in her wrist. She stopped and clasped her other hand over the emblazoned wound as the burning sensation worsened and the fang glowed brightly with a strange light. Kilala looked on helplessly as her friend suffered, but her hackles rose as she noticed a shadow moving amongst the trees.

Sango noted the neko's attitude and swiftly took hold of her hiraikotsu. She brought forth the weapon as Kilala softly began to growl. Nothing could be heard above the pounding rain and blustering wind which had followed the clouds.

Shadows whipped about them and danger seemed ever-present as the tajiki focused her senses.

However, after several tense moments no enemy appeared and Kilala slowly began to calm. The storm still gave itself to chaos and a nearby tree suddenly began to fall, its roots broken free of the ground by the large amount of rain.

"Come on, Kilala" Sango insisted as they finished the distance to the cave. The pain in her wrist was slowly dissipating. "It must have gone."

Inside the small area was dark but dry and several rocks offered a good pit to build a fire. Sango gathered what dry wood she could find in the space and started a warm blaze as she tried to dry herself. Kilala shook the loose water from her fur and curled up beside her mistress, though her ears twitched as she tried to catch any suspicious noises.

Soon the water flooding from the sky slowed to a steady drizzle, but the path would prove too hazardous to travel until the area dried. Soon the pattering of the rain soothed Sango and Kilala into sleep.

But Sango's comfort did not last long.

After what felt like only a passing moment Sango felt the burn on her wrist begin to hurt, which awakened her from her sleep. This time she carefully inspected the wound, which did not hurt as it had the time before, and found that another mark had joined the fang.

A single circle lay above the tooth, but was still situated lower than her palm. She traced her hand over the tiny round object, but she felt no pain from the touch. If she did not feel the pain nor see the glow of the wound, she would have thought the scars were old. Then another glow, this one at the cave entrance, caught her attention and she looked up.

Sango found herself staring at a girl not much younger than herself.

The two strangers peered at one another for a quiet moment until the older decided questions were in order.

"Who are you?" Sango asked as she tried to stand to her feet.

The tajiki cried out in pain as the burning suddenly flared on her wrist and she clutched at her arm. Her sound aroused Kilala and the girl vanished in a soft blaze of light, leaving the neko bewildered and the young woman vexed.

"Damn it" she cursed as she slid to her knees. The pain was passing but she held another question in her mind. "Who was she?"


	4. Reflections

A/N: A few more mysteries to solve in the growing intrigue.

**Reflections**

Sango woke to a dreary day as she sat up and stretched her weary limbs. The rain had stopped during the night but the path was still treacherous with mud slides and great pools of water. She stood up and stepped toward the entrance as thunder was heard far off in the distance.

Sango, however, was distracted as she searched the ground where the girl had stood. To her alarm she found no evidence of footprints nor of any disturbance inside the cave save what Kilala and she had made.

She then looked down at her hand and the strange symbols on her wrist, particularly the new addition of the circle above the insignia. She traced her fingers over the mark but she felt nothing but soft, unscarred skin, as if the mark had become part of her flesh.

There was no remnant of the intense burning sensation she had felt the previous night, not even a hint of faded pain. It was as if nothing had occurred save for a night's rest.

"Rowr?" Kilala asked as she looked up at her with worried eyes.

"It...it's nothing" Sango consoled as she dropped her arm. "But what do you think, Kilala?" she asked her feline friend as she stepped to the mouth of the cave and looked out.

"Meow" Kilala replied as she shook her head.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to try" she answered as she turned and walked over to her bag.

Sango began packing away her equipment for the trip down the remaining portion of the mountain. She made sure the bag was tightly sealed since one false move would cause her to tumble and spill the entire contents.

However, she paused for a moment to take a pair of gloves and place them over her hand, covering the marks.

Soon the job was done and she hoisted the sack onto her shoulders as Kilala stepped up to her side. The two travelers set off again on their journey as the clouds loomed overhead, threatening at any point to turn their anger on the companions.

They tried to be quick as they followed what remained of the path, but they slid quite often and more than once they both nearly fell. They had several miles to traverse that day if they were to meet their friends at the appointed hour, but by midday the situation looked as if they would only cross half the necessary distance.

The two companions stopped for lunch along the path and Sango allowed herself a moment to recall the episode in the cave. The girl had been there and then vanished as quickly as she had come, all without a word or explanation. Her clothes had also been so strange in their regal, old-fashioned manner and her long, dark black hair made up as if for a tea ceremony rather than outside in the wilderness.

She had evidently been from a prosperous family, though by the lack of glittering adornments Sango guessed not from noble birth. The girl's posture had been regal but weak, showing she had hardly worked a day in her life, and by the way she held herself she had been well aware of her position in society.

Sango's thoughts were broken as she felt Kilala tug at her sleeve. She looked down as her friend pointed in the direction of the sky, and her eyes followed as a bolt of lightning suddenly ran across the sky.

The storm which had been stalking them all day was threatening to arrive.

"We should go" she agreed with her companion as she hurriedly packed away what remained of her lunch.

Unfortunately Sango accidentally dropped her wrapped sandwich on the ground, and she kneeled to pick it up. However, she jerked back as a surprise awaited her beneath her feet.

A small pool of water stood beside where the meal had landed and in its depths her eyes had seen another face. Unbelieving what she had seen, the tajiki leaned back over the pool and her mouth dropped open in shock as the young girl from the previous night looked back.

Her attire was exactly the same as before, but this time her demeanor was different. Rather than the aloof expression on her face she seemed interested, and her eyes held an eagerness with scared Sango.

The young woman couldn't tear her gaze from the water as the reflection began moving on its own as her arm reached out. For a moment her hand seemed to transcend the barrier between the world of echo and the world which created the echo.

Kilala broke the spell as she suddenly snarled and sprang at the figure.

Sango jerked herself back as her feline splashed into the water, sending water drops everywhere as the tajiki sat back on her feet. She appeared in shock as she blinked uncontrollably while Kilala growled at the now empty pool and then turned her distressed eyes to her mistress.

"Kilala..." Sango trailed off as cradled her head in one hand. "What just happened?"

"Meow!" Kilala responded as she tried to push her friend to her feet.

"All right" the tajiki agreed as she shakily stood and swayed for a moment before gaining her balance.

Kilala grew to her full size and bent down in order for her mistress to easily swing onto her back. Her tails eagerly flicked in the wind as the storm loomed closer and the scent of rain threatened to become a downpour.

"Are you sure you can get us there?" Sango asked as she grabbed for her bag. She left the dropped food beside the pool of water. "What about the lightning?"

"Meowr!" she impatiently roared as she pawed the ground.

"Then let's go" her companion agreed as she climbed up and seated herself behind the feline's fiery mane.

The two friends took off into the stormy skies and traveled the way of the birds as they quickly passed over the path. Sango surveyed the damage the night's chaos had done and found that their way had been blocked at several locations by fallen rocks and trees. They would have had to wander around the destruction which would have caused an additional day, at best.

Sango suddenly felt a whip of wind try to blow her off Kilala's back, and she held tighter to the thick fur.

"Come on, Kilala!" she encouraged as the storm followed their path. "Just a little further!"

"Reowr!" she replied as she pressed on with more urgency as the lightning began to strike around them.

Sango looked for a place to land as the wind picked up and the rain began pelting down upon their heads. They were already far down the path, and she felt confident that her friends would not worry too much if they arrived early the next morning. For now they had to worry about the storm which threatened to both blow them off course and strike them down.

Finally she spotted several rock formations which made in their center provided some shelter from the chaos.

"Kilala!" she shouted above the wind as she pointed to the area.

The feline noted the spot and began a quick descent as a strong gust suddenly pushed them faster to the ground. Kilala was barely able to adjust for the impact as they landed hard on the rocks and solid dirt. Sango was thrown from her back and landed not far from her friend.

The young woman scrambled to her knees and saw the still body of her youkai, now in her small form, lying a few yards away. She stood and rushed to Kilala and examined her, realized to find her breathing hard but in no way abnormal. She looked over her body and found numerous bruises, but the oddly angled leg showed the neko had broken her bones on impact.

Thankfully the break was clean and she wouldn't need to set the bone back into place, but the injury meant infection could set in. Though she was youkai, she was not immune to illness.

"Hold on, Kilala" she assured as she carefully picked her up and dashed to the enclosure.

She found a smooth piece of ground and gently rested her friend on the dirt. Then she took a blanket from her bag and covered the unconscious neko as the rain pelted the stones and trees overhead. Thankfully, little got into the area and most places were dry enough to start a fire.

After making sure Kilala was as comfortable as she could make her, Sango stood and began searching for dry wood and kindling to start a fire. The storm was cold and she knew heat would help them both as she scrounged for the materials.

She found little in the way of wood in the clearing, as the large rocks kept most branches from falling into the enclosure. Desperate, Sango walked out into the forest in search of dry wood, which proved difficult as the rain pelted her clothing and skin. The wind kicked mud and leaves into her face as she finally sought shelter underneath a large oak tree, which provided cover and some supply of relatively dry wood.

Sango was on her knees picking up the branches when she suddenly had the feeling of being watched.

Slowly she looked and found herself staring at the figure of the young woman. She blinked her eyes, testing to see if the apparition would disappear, but the girl still stood there in the fury of the wind. What proved stranger was her clothes showed no hint of wind, nor did the rain drench her hair.

She seemed untouched by time as she took a step toward Sango.

"Who are you!?" Sango shouted above the storm as she dropped her wood and took hold of her weapon upon her back.

Sango could feel her fingers tremble as the girl seemed not to hear her question as she stepped closer.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning and a crash of thunder appeared overhead and drown the world out even as the bright lights illuminated the area. She clapped her hand over her mouth to drown out the cry as, for a moment, the girl's figure changed.

She appeared as a skeleton standing amidst the ruin of the storm.

Sango took hold of her hiraikotsu and swung it at the stranger with all her strength. She was terrified as the weapon merely passed through the girl's body and returned to her without hitting its mark. She retrieved the knife from her belt and readied herself as the woman was now within feet of where she stood.

For a moment, though, she looked into the girl's eyes and her will vanished.

Sango felt her hand drop the knife as she slowly backed away and into the tree behind herself. Her breathing came out in gasps as the girl reached her and stood with less than a foot between them. The tajiki realized they were the same height, but any other detail was lost as the woman raised her arm and her hand came up to cup one side of her face.

The simple, soft touch proved unbearable as Sango suddenly felt her wrist flare up in agonizing pain. She clenched her teeth against the pain as she felt something etch into her skin, but could not wrench herself from the girl's grasp as she allowed her to cradle her face.

"Hiss!"

At the loud call Sango suddenly felt the girl release her mesmerizing hold as a pale creature shot out at the stranger. She realized too late that it was Kilala, and that the youkai was trying to ward off the girl who could not be touched.

The feline passed through the figure, but her presence broke the spell and the girl vanished into the air. Sango fell to her knees as Kilala landed a few yards away with a loud yelp of pain as she collided with the hard earth.

Sango, disregarding the aching pain in her wrist, struggled to her friend across the wet ground and cried out as she found the neko covered in mud and leaves. She meowed piteously as her mistress carefully took her into her arms.

"Kilala" Sango managed to sob out at she cradled her friend in her arms. "Oh Kilala, why?"

"Meow" she softly replied as she tried to nuzzle her mistress' arm.

The movement only caused her to whimper in pain and Sango slowly stood to her feet.

"Don't move" she softly commanded as she made her way back to the enclosure.

Sango gently placed her back on the ground and covered her with a blanket from her bag. Then she returned to the tree, ever watching for the girl, and recovered the branches needed for the fire. Quickly she had a roaring blaze in the circle of rocks, and with some leaves and supplies she managed to make Kilala comfortable with little pain.

"Thank you" she quietly and gratefully spoke as she carefully petted Kilala's fur.

"Meow" Kilala replied with a weak purr as she nuzzled her face into her friend's hand.

"You probably saved my life" Sango commented with a smile as she looked at her wrist.

For a moment she hesitated, but her curiosity and worry were too great and she slowly raised her hand and carefully removed the glove. Her eyes widened as she noted the addition of another circle around the symbol, one as distinct as the last.

"There must be an explanation" she whispered as she shook her head in disbelief. "There has to be."


	5. Rising Tide

A/N: Another chapter in a confusing mystery.

**Rising Tide**

"She should have been here yesterday" Kagome commented as she sat with her three companions in Kaede's hut.

Though it was the middle of the day, a fire was lit and brightly burning. The glow cast shadows along the walls as the storm raged outside, causing the world to appear as black as night. Kaede sat at one end of the fire stirring a boiling pot of stew which bubbled over the flames.

"She'll be here" Inuyasha grumbled as he sat with crossed legs on the ground and the tetsaiga slung over his arms.

"I'm worried about her" she fretted as she stood up and looked out the door of the cozy home. The rain poured down over the fields and other buildings with unstopping fury. "What if something happened to her?"

The miko peered into the dense rain but all was too dark to see more than a few yards. The village was a mess of mud and broken branches, the latter caused by the extreme winds which had occurred the previous day. The air was calm but for the hard rumbling of the water falling harshly from the sky.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Kagome" Miroku spoke up as he looked into the fire with an intense gaze. "The storm is bad, and perhaps Sango is in need of our assistance."

"Then why don't we-" Kagome began just as Shippo looked out the open flap of the door.

"Look!" he cried as the outline of a figure suddenly appeared through the rain.

"Sango?" Kagome called as the two boys tensed in case trouble was coming.

The silent figure did not reply, but instead stumbled and dropped to their knees upon the mud. Kagome rushed out, followed quickly by her friends, and they reached the pathetic figure.

To their horror Sango lay in the wet ground, her clothes torn and soaked. Her hair was strewn about her shoulders in a wild mess and her bag was nowhere to be found. Her hiraikotsu was still strapped tightly to her back and she held tightly to a bundle in her arms.

"Sango!" they all cried out as she looked up at them, her body shivering in the damp cold.

"Inuyasha, carry her to Kaede's hut" Miroku ordered as the hanyou nodded and carefully lifted the young woman.

Kagome ran ahead and rushed into the home as Kaede was preparing a bed. The miko looked through her bag for any medicine she had against illness and wounds. She was soon followed by Inuyasha and his cherished burden, along with the other distraught members of the group. The hanyou propped her up on the blankets and Kagome rushed to her side with her medicine box.

"Are you all right?" she asked as her shaking hands fumbled with the clasps of the box. "Are you hurt?"

"Kilala" Sango managed to whisper as she handed the wet bundle to Kagome. "Help her first" she pleaded in a hoarse gasp.

"Kilala?!" Kagome exclaimed as the blanket moved and she quickly brushed aside the cover to find the small youkai.

The neko meowed softly and the miko immediately noticed the broken back leg. She also had several cuts and bruises all over her body, and her fur was matted with dried blood and filth.

"Kaede!" she shouted as she carefully put Kilala on the soft ground while Miroku spread some of the blankets over Sango.

"What is it, my child?" the elder miko asked as she stepped up beside Kagome. She frowned as she noticed the injured youkai. "This is not good" she murmured as she looked over the wounds.

"Kilala, watch out!" Sango suddenly yelled as she tried to sit up in bed. Her face twisted into a look of fear as she lifted her arms in self defense. "No, don't come near me!"

"She's delirious!" Miroku explained as he pinned her to the bed. "Sango, you must calm down!" he commanded in a firm voice.

His tone and the familiar ring of his voice soothed Sango and she slipped into a faint and uneasy sleep. Her dreams must have reflected the same horrible memories as her face occasionally contorted into a look of terror, and she restlessly shifted on the blankets. The young woman remained unconscious, however, and they were able to focus their attention on other matters.

"Will Kilala be all right?" Kagome softly asked the elder miko as she pet the neko's fur to give some comfort.

"I believe so" Kaede replied, but she gravely shook her head. "It will take some time, however."

"Great" Inuyasha muttered as he looked out the door to the storm still brewing. No doubt somewhere out there Naraku was causing grief to some unfortunate soul. "Time is what we don't have."

"Inuyasha, behave!" Kagome scolded as she scowled at the hanyou. "How can you say such things when Sango and Kilala are so sick?"

"Meh" he replied as he turned his head away from the group, but he remained silent and obligingly tended to the fire while the others treated their two friends.

The rest of the day proved to be long as the companions watched over the patients with the careful attendance of friends much worried about their conditions. As night fell the storm ceased its rumbling and the rain slowed to nothing. Sango's slight fever broke and Kilala proved well enough to take some soup from Kagome.

The group was rejoicing in the small recoveries when Miroku first noticed the odd glove upon Sango's hand.

"Kagome, what do you make of this?" he asked as he looked over the muddied cloth.

"Make of what?" Kagome asked as she walked over to Sango's side. She was as puzzled as the hoshi when he pointed to the glove. "I don't know" she admitted as she shook her head. "I gave the pair of gloves to her, but she's never worn them before."

Miroku frowned at the cover and slowly lifted the cloth off of her cold hand. He gently took hold of her wrist and turned her palm upward, but Kagome noticed his fingers suddenly tighten their hold.

The mark emblazoned upon her wrist was impossible to miss as the bright ink seemed to glow in the darkness of the hut. In curiosity Kagome reached out to touch the symbol, but Miroku grabbed her arm before she could feel the engraving.

"Do not touch it" he commanded as he let go of her hand. Kagome drew back her arm as Miroku reached into his robes and drew forth one of his paper seals. "I sense a dark power coming from these marks."

Miroku covered the symbols with the parchment and the reaction to the protective paper was almost instantaneous.

Sango's eyes shot open and she cried out in pain as she grabbed at the paper on her wrist. The hoshi tried to grab at her arms but she flailed around uncontrollably with a strength not her own, and soon she had knocked him away. With eyes full of fury she tore the paper from her wrist and flung the parchment across the hut.

Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed back onto the bed.

For a long moment the hut was enveloped in silence and the only sound was Sango's harsh breathing after the struggle. Then Kagome slowly lifted her head and looked to Miroku with an expression filled with concern and a tinge of horror.

"What the hell just happened?" Inuyasha spoke up and interrupted the quiet.

"I...I do not know" Miroku admitted as he shook his head. He looked at the tattered remains of his paper talisman and then turned slowly back to Sango. "But I can no longer sense the malevolent power which showed itself to us through Sango."

"Maybe it fell asleep" Shippo quietly suggested as he sidled up to Kagome to comfort himself.

"The expression on her face..." Kagome spoke up, and everyone noticed the quiver in her voice. "That...that wasn't Sango, was it?" she asked as she took her friend's hand in her own.

"I fear it was not" the hoshi replied as he sighed deeply. "Kaede, what do you make of this?" he asked the wise old miko.

"Her actions were of one possessed, but the power I felt was like no other" Kaede explained with a deep frown. "But we shall learn nothing of what happened to her until she awakens."

"What about Kilala?" Shippo hoped as he looked to the neko.

Unfortunately she, too, had collapsed into a deep and necessary slumber. The fox child frowned in disapproval, but did not dare wake the fire cat.

"I propose we take watch, in case something were to happen" Miroku suggested as the hour grew late. Kagome and Shippo's eyes were having trouble staying open, though they battled to keep conscious for their injured friends. Kaede had already turned in for the night. "Inuyasha and I will take the first watch."

"Agreed" Shippo speedily answered as he collapsed into his adopted mother's lap.

"You'd better remember to wake us" Kagome warned as she lay down on the other side of Sango.

Soon the two boys were left alone as their friends slipped into sleep. Outside the clouds had parted and the stars had come out, allowing them to shine brightly upon the village. No one stirred at the late hour and the calls of the night animals were the only sounds disturbing the peaceful air.

The time passed slowly as the fire light flickered along the walls of the hut. Inuyasha sat next to the door, in case someone or something should enter, while Miroku was at Sango's side.

"Well?" Inuyasha suddenly asked, and his question startled Miroku.

"Well what?" he replied as he turned to his fellow companion.

"You gonna tell us what's really wrong with her?" the insightful hanyou questioned.

"I do not know what you mean" Miroku countered as he looked to Sango's soft face.

"There's something yer not telling us" Inuyasha explained as he shifted the weight of tetsaiga in his lap. "Energy just doesn't disappear."

"You are right, Inuyasha" the hoshi sighed as he shook his head. His eyes ran the length of the tajiki's arm to the point of the symbols. "The power seemed to return to these strange markings, and then vanish from my senses."

"So what do ya make of it?" he asked.

"I truly do not know" Miroku replied. "And I fear Sango may not know the answer herself."

"So we'r-" Inuyasha began, only to be interrupted by a familiar scent wafting through the door. "Not now" he growled as he stood and threw open the door.

Miroku was surprised to see Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, standing a few yards from the hut. His face was impassive as a soft breeze blew his billowing clothes against his tall body.

"Whadda ya want?" Inuyasha hissed in a low voice as he brandished the tetsaiga.

"My business is not with you, half-breed" Sesshoumaru cooly replied. "Where is the tajiki?" he questioned, much to the surprise of the two men.

"Sorry, she's a little unavailable" the hanyou countered as he stepped outside. "But if ya want someone to play with, I'm always willin'."

"Wait, Inuyasha" Miroku interrupted as he joined them in the cool night air. "Sesshoumaru, why do you wish to see Sango?"

"That is none of your concern" he reaffirmed as his eyes slowly looked past them into the hut.

"Like hell it ain't!" Inuyasha shouted as he noticed the youkai's straying gaze. "You're not seeing her until you tell us what you want!"

Sesshoumaru looked for a moment longer at the small house, and then he turned toward the woods which surrounded the village. He walked away without another word nor look behind, and soon he had disappeared into the trees.

"Hey, where ya going, coward!" the hanyou mocked as he waved his fist in the air.

"Calm down, Inuyasha" the hoshi calmly scolded as he looked back to the hut. "Your voice will wake the others."

Inuyasha grumbled and scowled, but he stopped his shouting boasts. He sheathed his sword and folded his arms over his chest in an insulted pout.

"Besides, I believe he will not return tonight" Miroku added thoughtfully. "He appeared only to want to know where Sango was, and unfortunately he is now aware of her position."

"What's it to him where she is?" Inuyasha asked as he raised a brow. "He's never shown any interest in her before."

"And that part is what worries me the most" the hoshi softly contemplated.

The fire inside the hut flickered as the light from the flames danced along the walls, casting shadows along the occupants faces. Shippo slept soundly in Kagome's warm embrace, both unaware of the eyes which had watched the scene and even now glimpsed their slumber.

Eyes which held a deep hatred, an unabated hunger long festering in the grave.


	6. Imperfect World

A/N: It's amazing where paranoia will lead as another chapter bites the dust. A thanks to those who have reviewed.

**Imperfect World**

"Oh..." Sango softly groaned as she uneasily shifted on her bed.

The tajiki slowly opened her eyes and blinked in pain as the flickering of a strong flame pierced her weary eyes. The house was empty but for herself as she sat up and looked around. A small fire was burning in the center fire pit and a pot boiled with a wonderful smelling stew.

From her memories she knew the hut to be Kaede's, but Sango grimaced as she tried to recall where she was and how she had come to this place. The mountain trail, Kilala wrapped tightly in her arms, and the rain falling down as she sought the path to the village. An indescribable pain wrapped around her wrist. All were fragmented and unhelpful.

"Kilala" she called out in a hoarse voice, one distinctly not her own.

"So ye be awake" Kaede suddenly spoke as she came through the flap of the hut. Sango glimpsed another day of rain and storm outside before the door was shut. "Thy friends are out gathering medicine and tracking our visitor."

"Visitor?" Sango croaked.

"Aye" the old miko said as she settled down by the fire to tend to the stew. "The youkai lord Sesshoumaru was here last night."

"To fight Inuyasha again, I suppose" Sango softly mused as looked to the door.

Kaede noticed as she idly rubbed her marked wrist, but she remained silent. Outside the storm rumbled far off in the distance, but soon the calm would break and another fury would arrive.

"He wished to speak with thee" Kaede revealed as she carefully watched Sango. The tajiki appeared genuinely shocked as she turned to the old miko in surprise. "Perhaps thee would know why he was here?"

"I...I don't know" she admitted as she shook her head.

Sango avoided the gaze of her companion as she thought over the new development. Sesshoumaru could not be involved in the affairs of her family, nor would the great lord wish to dirty his hands with the likes of any human. Perhaps something had occurred during her memory lapse, but she could not understand why her mind was so disjointed.

"I've been sick?" she asked Kaede.

"Aye" the elder replied, and for the first time Sango noticed her penetrating expression. "How be ye?"

"Just...just a little uncomfortable" she reassured with a smile as false as her words.

Sango felt as if her body were pulling two ways, and the epicenter of the pain were the marks on her wrist. She noticed the glove had either fallen off or been pulled away, and she carefully kept her arm concealed beneath the blankets.

The urge to look at the marks was distracting, but Sango held back the need. As long as Kaede, or any other of her friends, was around, she could not allow herself time to examine the symbols. However, since the covering had disappeared she could hardly doubt her friends had missed the markings.

Sango looked at Kaede with a new sense of suspicion as she shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Surely the old miko, as keen as her sight still was in her age, had not missed the strange designs on her wrist, yet she did not make mention of them. What gain could she obtain from keeping the knowledge hidden and biding her time to coax information from her?

Then Sango's eyes flashed as she realized something more must have occurred the previous night, something more than the unusual arrival of the youkai lord.

Two could play at this game of information, but she had one final test to prove her suspicions.

"May I have some salve?" Sango suddenly asked of the old miko. Kaede looked troubled for a moment. "My arm is rather sore."

Kaede glanced down but for a moment at the arm which lay beneath the covers, and then she was over in the corner mixing the correct herbs. The action was brief but enough to confirm Sango's theory about missing parts of last night's story.

"I hope I haven't been too much worry" Sango lamented as she shifted uncomfortably. She could not seem to keep herself still, but she needed to focus as she laid down her pieces. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Hush, child" Kaede argued as she shook her head while mixing the bowl. "Ye have not done anything to put shame on thine self."

"But what if I had hurt someone?" she asked as she looked to the miko.

A single flash, a subtle twitch, actions missed by the less astute but easily caught by Sango. The reference to harm had sprang some reaction by the old woman and she had a piece of the puzzle in her hand.

"Nonsense" Kaede soothed as she walked over with the finished salve. "Ye should place this on your arm when you can, and then rest. Thy friends will not return for a while."

Another slip, this one unavoidable. Kaede had not ask to place the remedy herself, but had requested Sango perform the task. As old as the miko was, she rarely insisted the patients care for themselves, especially in the weakened position the tajiki found herself in.

Sango surmised the incident had taken place had involved the markings on her arm, and whatever the consequences they had been terrible enough for Kaede to want to avoid touching the patterns. Now that she had gathered enough information to form a decent picture of events, the tajiki now had to play the part of avoiding slips of her own.

Thus Sango took her time with the salve as she waited for the right moment when Kaede would not be looking. Though the miko knew of the marks, the tajiki wanted to make certain she would not see any progression in their conditions, should one occur.

Sango was relieved to see nothing had changed as she quickly removed her arm during an opportune moment. The pictures pulsed on her skin, and she grimaced as the light from the fire reflected off the marks and for a moment she felt blinded. Then she lathered the ointment over the warm skin, but she felt no pain with her touch as she carefully slid the sticky arm back beneath the blanket.

From the way the marks were inflamed, Sango wondered if Miroku had not taken one of his paper seals to the strange symbols. Perhaps the purifying seals had reacted badly to the procedure and side effects had caused the alarm she now glimpsed in Kaede's eyes.

Whatever had happened last night, however, Sango knew she could not long remain with her friends. She needed to find the cure to relieve her of the markings, and she could not ask her friends to walk the path which was her family's shame. They trusted her little after last night, their concerns amplified by the appearance of Sesshoumaru demanding her presence.

However, to lift the cursed symbols she would need to return to the source of the troubles; back to her forgotten village.

Sango closed her eyes to block the memories of the dead rising, unable to find peace. The leader of those ghastly shadows had reappeared in her dreams as an actor to the scene of shame. He would surely know more about her obligation to clear her family and village of the dishonor which kept them from eternal slumber.

But first she would have to slip from the alert eyes of the old miko.

Fortunately the gods sought to bless her on the journey as a villager suddenly rushed into the house. He looked disheveled from the storm and his eyes were full of fear.

"Please, old one!" the anxious resident, a man, pleaded. "My son has taken ill from the cold and we cannot abate the fever! You must come immediately!"

"Does thy son shake, even with warm blankets?" Kaede asked in her professional manner as she rose from the fire.

"Yes!" the worried father affirmed. "We have tried everything you have taught us, but still nothing works!"

"Very well" she sighed deeply as she nodded her head. "I will mix the necessary potions and follow to thine home." The old miko turned to Sango with concern. "Will thee be fine by thine self?"

"They need you more than I" Sango comforted with a smile. "I will take a nap" she informed as she lay back against her blankets.

"Aye, then" Kaede replied as she gave a short bow and left with the distraught parent.

The moment the door had stopped swaying Sango shot straight up and listened for any sounds. She could hear nothing but the howling wind calling wildy around the hut, and swiftly she flung aside the blankets.

With some effort, for she still felt weak, Sango stood to her feet and prepared for her journey. She gathered together food, blankets, and some medicine in case her condition should return. Quickly the young woman strapped the supplies to her back and placed her hiraikotsu on top for easy reach to protect against trouble.

Cautiously Sango knelt at the door and peered out into the shadowed day. Nothing stirred save for the beating trees and bushes which dotted the village. All appeared safe and bundled within their own homes, and she stealthily stepped out into the storm.

Sango winced as a strong gust tried to topple her to her feet. The cold chill held a danger of rain as she quickly pressed on into the woods not far off. She found herself gasping for air as she held constant battle with the wind and for a moment she wished to have her feline companion with her.

However, Sango swore to herself not to embroil anyone else in this private affair, even if Kilala would be furious. With the thought of the lonely trek she pressed on into the trees, thankful for their brief cover as they blocked the wind from tormenting her on the path. The calming atmosphere, unfortunately, proved a boon to the fog as the white wisps wrapped themselves about her legs and hid the far forest from her view.

Sango found the way to be less treacherous than she feared, though, as she made good time. Soon she had left the village far behind and the woods became thicker with brush and fallen logs. She nimbly traveled along under the darkened sky with only her training to guide her in the right direction.

Strangely the tajiki found her pace slowing the further she explored. A sense of foreboding was rising in her chest and she placed her hand over her chest to feel the rapid beating of her heart. Her eyes began to flit from side to side and small noises before and behind startled her keen mind. Her hand itched to grab her hiraikotsu as all her warrior instincts screamed at her that danger was coming.

And then it arrived.

Sango jumped back as something white smoothly dropped down from the trees above. She grabbed her weapon and prepared for battle, but for a moment she was entranced.

Before her raindrops from the damp trees softly fell upon the stranger who stood motionless as a statue. The water glistened off the shining long hair as the fog of the woods provided a backdrop of haunting beauty as the cold eyes settled on her shocked form.

Before her stood the Lord of the Western Lands.

Sango scowled as he beheld her with his disdainful expression. She tightly gripped her boomerang and crouched down into an attack stance as she gritted her teeth in anger.

He stood so perfectly arrogant and silent in his superiority. The tajiki felt her hands shake at the demon who so haughtily stood in her path without care, and she felt a supreme urge to wipe the smirk from his lips. Sango had to control the welling of anger which threatened to engulf her as she spoke to the creature.

"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" she questioned as she looked defiantly at his own solid stance.

"You will tell this Sesshoumaru what occurred these past few days" he demanded.

The question caught Sango off guard and she felt her ire subside to a manageable level.

"What do you mean?" she asked as her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He could not have known about her experience at her village. There had been none but the dead.

"You will also tell me how to remove the marks" Sesshoumaru continued without heeding her own inquiries.

"What marks?" she countered as she slowly lowered her hiraikotsu against her better judgement. "What do you want of me, youkai?" she herself demanded.

For a moment Sesshoumaru appeared to be irritated with her lack of answers and a period of indecisiveness crossed his face. Then his cold demeanor returned and he stepped toward the tajiki.

For the first time Sango noticed his left arm had returned.

"But...how?" she asked as she shook her head in amazement.

Her question was ignored as he stopped before her astonished presence and lifted his right hand to pull back the sleeve of his left arm.

Sango's eyes widened in utter shock as she beheld the marks which had haunted her the past few days.

"What...what is this?" she cried out as she took a step back shaking her head in disbelief. "This...this cannot be!"

"It is, human" Sesshoumaru impatiently stated as he allowed the sleeve to drop into place. The marks vanished beneath the robe as the tajiki stood stunned. "Now tell me what you know about those marks."

Sango's anger returned in a flash as she raised the hiraikotsu for defense. She would not let a mere youkai, even one of the lords, order her to give such sensitive information. Not before he had given as much to her.

"You will tell me how you came by those marks" she ordered as she positioned herself on the offensive. "And you will tell me how your arm was returned to you."

The two stood at an impasse as neither refused to give in to the other's request. The storm, however, cared little for their battle of patience as the skies overhead became darker and rain threatened to pour forth from the blackened clouds. Lightning crashed and thunder roared as the noise filled the woods with dread.

The wind danced through the trees stronger than before and the fog whipped about the two opponents. For a moment Sango thought the lights from the lightning and the reflection of the fog was playing tricks upon her sight as she beheld the form of Sesshoumaru change slightly.

His robe changed to armor and back again. His hair, flowing free in the wind, was reined in behind his back. His face, so expressionless, melded with another to become a mix of cruelty and kindness.

Then Sango's sickness struck her as the fatigue from the journey overcame her refusal to give in to the pain. She felt a dizziness envelope herself as she collapsed to her knees upon the damp ground. The tajiki bit her tongue to keep focused, but the pain was of little use as her hands began to shake.

Her enemy moved to stand above her and she could do nothing more than remain conscious. She felt burning tears of shame roll down her cheeks even as the heavens opened to cry with her. The rain poured forth and drenched the land where they stood, both unwilling to bend to the other.

Sango was surprised when the lord bent down and pulled back the sleeve of her right arm. She could not understand how he would know where to look, but his long perusal of her marks infuriated her pride.

"Don't touch me!" she suddenly spat out as she slapped his hand away. Her eyes were full of fiery as she looked up at the lord. "You have no right!"

"And you have little strength to object" Sesshoumaru countered with little mirth as he stood to his feet.

The once solid ground beneath them began to transform into mud as the rain engulfed the woods. The darkness became as night as the trees vanished into wild fog and flying branches. Nothing was untouched as the two figures were drenched with the tears of nature.

But Sango would not give in. Her family honor, nay, even their souls were at stake in this small, fruitless game she now played with the youkai. She could not afford to waste any more time in these small delays, and so a deal was formed in her mind.

"I will tell you what you want to know" she shouted above the wind. "But only for the information I seek."

Sesshoumaru appeared to ponder this simple proposal, and found the idea to his liking.

"Very well, human" he agreed. However, his impatience quickly returned as Sango tried, and failed, to stand to her feet. "Stay still" he commanded as beneath them both a white cloud appeared.

Sango had seen his strange transportation prior, but she was surprised to feel the softness which covered its exterior. Before further perusing, however, she felt herself lifted a few inches from the ground and soon they were swiftly moving through the trees.

Even at such a low altitude the wind blew fiercely against the cloud, and Sango found herself holding tightly to what little she could grab. The scenery passed by in a blur of dark colors, but she could make out the path she had taken to and from her village. Then she noted a distinct turn as Sesshoumaru changed the direction to an area outside of the beaten trail.

Sango stiffened as she realized where the lord wished to have their exchange of knowledge.

They were heading toward the stone pillars, the area where she had been attacked by the girl.


	7. In Search of Themselves

A/N: Took me months to rediscover the plot to this story.

**In Search of Themselves**

Sango couldn't allow them to reach the rocks. She couldn't face the demon which now haunted her reality.

"Stop!" she yelled above the fray of the storm. "We can't go there!"

Sesshoumaru did not turn around as they sped further to the enclosure, but she could tell he was listening. He awaited her explanation.

"There's something in the rocks!" Sango exclaimed.

She knew he was not heeding her warning as the horror loomed just ahead of them. The young woman would have growled in frustration at the creature's clear arrogant stance, but her fear of the rocks kept her focused on avoiding a rerun of the nightmare. Her horror gave her strength, even through her illness, and she would use the sudden energy to her advantage.

So she rolled off.

Sango braced herself for the hard crash as she rolled into a tucked position. She hit the ground hard and nearly had the aired knocked out of her weak lungs as she rolled over the sunken earth. The young woman became coated in the mud as the water and wind chilled her to the bone.

Sango had managed to grab his notice, however.

At her fall Sesshoumaru had swiftly stopped and turned his nimbus to face her pathetic figure. The great youkai lord set himself upon a wet stone as he stood before Sango. She for her part would not allow herself to be seen quivering, and she bit her lip roughly to keep her body still.

"Now you will tell me what I want to know" she demanded as her breath came out in struggled gasps. Her illness would allow little dignity before this enemy. "How was your arm returned? Where did you get that mark upon your wrist?"

"I do not know" he bluntly replied with disdain at his own ignorance.

"Then what is your business with me?" she questioned sharply. Sango felt cheated of her answers, and rued the agreement she had made with the monster. "Why did you come to see me?"

The lord appeared unwilling to reveal his motives as he contemplated her further inquiries. He struggled with indecision, a state Sango had rarely seen him trapped within. True to his nature, however, he did not long revel in such hesitation.

"My father has ordered I do so" Sesshoumaru answered.

"Don't mock me" Sango threatened as she glared at the youkai. "Inu no Taisho is dead."

"I did not say he was alive, human" Sesshoumaru shot back.

"Then...then how?" she asked as she shook her head, spraying water in the air.

"You will now answer my own questions" he demanded as he brushed aside her own. "What is the marking upon your wrist?" he questioned as his eyes traveled to her covered arm.

"I don't know" Sango shot back, partly in revenge for his poor answers and wholly out of the truth of her experience. She pulled back the soggy cloth and looked out upon the marks. "They just appeared..." she trailed off as she thought of the skull and the ring of the dead.

"When did they appear?" Sesshoumaru pointedly asked as he noted her distracted expression.

"What right have you to know?" she countered. "How can you be here at all with a command from your dead father?"

"I will not tolerate such impudence, human" the lord frowned, but his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her avoidance of his questions was incentive to push his inquiries further. "What do you know?"

"What are you hiding?" Sango shot back with venom in her tone. She could feel herself weakening as her footing began to grow shaky. The rain was coming down in sheets of sorrow and their conversation was getting them nowhere. "If you refuse to answer my questions, then return to your land" she ordered as she slowly reached up and removed her hiraikotsu from her back.

In a flash of silver, even as a flash of lightning shot through the sky, Sesshoumaru moved across the narrow gap which had separated them. Sango's sluggish movements could not match his own and she found her throat in his newly revived grasp as her weapon fell to the ground. Her hands clasped over his own as she struggled to find enough air to breath.

"This game has tested my patience long enough, human" Sesshoumaru snarled as he squeezed her throat. Sango gasped in pain as she felt her wind pipe struggle to remain open. "What are these marks upon our wrists?"

"I...I don't know" Sango choked out as the world began to spin. She felt on fire from the fever and her body was screaming for oxygen. "It just happened."

"What happened?" he demanded to know as his face inched closer to her own.

Suddenly Sango felt her wrist inflame with scorching pain as one of the circles lit with an unearthly light. Sesshoumaru's expression changed into shock as his own wrist resonated with her light. The young woman could see the flash of pain hidden in his eyes as he released his grasp on her throat and stepped backward, staring at his illuminated arm. She fell to the mud below, but she scarcely heeded the wet earth as she cradled her own arm against her body.

A bright glowing caused Sango to raise her gaze, and for the second time that night Sango saw the lord's body shift between two different forms.

This time Sesshoumaru appeared physically affected by the melding as he grasped his glowing arm in anger.

"You will not" she heard him growl as he grasped his limb so tightly she thought he would rip the arm from his shoulder.

At his words Sango felt her own wrist furiously blaze with a pain greater than any she had so far experienced. She gasped out in shock, so little was her strength that she could not scream, and she ground her teeth to focus her mind away from the agony.

The fog seemed to react to their suffering as the mist swirled about, as though drawn to them but unable to approach closer than a few feet. The two appeared trapped in the slowly shifting vortex of white illumination as each of them tried to fight off an enemy they could not touch nor see.

Sango could only feel a presence, a near overpowering force which tried to consume her being. Images flashed through her mind of the girl who had stretched out her arms in greeting, but who's eyes held only greed and a secret desire. The young woman could not allow the stranger to control her, even for a moment, for she felt the fate would be worse than death.

But still, even with her greatest effort, she felt something slip away.

Finally, however, Sango sensed the persistent other give up and slowly settle into an uneasy slumber. Her ragged breathing was interrupted by coughing fits as the light from her arm faded into nothing. The pain also disappeared and soon her wrist felt as if nothing had happened.

But now she was left with three small circles hovering over the marking of the animal.

Sango noticed as the youkai, too, looked upon his arm as though some new and unwanted consequence had occurred.

"Is it a circle?" she managed to gasp out as her body began to shake.

She could not longer hold back the disease.

His eyes merely turned to her at her question, but still she was satisfied he, too, held one of the strange markings above his own symbol. The tajiki tried to stand to her feet to properly continue what remained of their tattered conversation, but she found her strength would not allow even such a small feat.

Sango sighed in defeat as the lord stepped over to her fallen body. Her pale skin and quivering form clearly told him she would not last long in the stormy conditions. The fog, now undeterred, brought it's chilly air into their space and settled upon their forms like a wet blanket. She barely had enough strength to pull her hiraikotsu close to herself.

"I...I can't stand" she quietly admitted to the youkai, though her pride stung at the show of weakness. Sesshoumaru didn't comment on her statement, but Sango felt as they were lifted up onto his nimbus. Then she had an idea. "There...there's a village not far" she informed him through her raspy breathing. "Just up the mountain trail" she explained. "If you take us there...I will tell you what...what you want to know" she gasped out.

The lord again remained silent, but Sango was silently glad as the cloud sped off along the path she had mentioned. The tajiki wrapped her arms around herself as the rain pelted down against them hard enough to cause some pain, but the cold soaked into her very skin. Her body shook to keep her warm, but her determination to remain conscious was the only thing which kept her from slipping into a deadly sleep.

The journey took less time than by foot, but Sango felt the minutes pass by slowly as finally they came in view of her desolate home. The fog lay supreme around the rotten posts which had once kept the occupants safe from their adversaries. The grasses appeared green from the moisture, a mockery of life among the dead, as the nimbus stopped at the entrance to the village.

"The large building at the end of this road" she instructed, and without hesitation they moved through the broken houses and to her own home.

For once Sango was grateful the illness held sway over her thoughts, as for now she had little time to ponder over the ruins of her once proud village. The pair soon arrived at the broken porch, and the young woman tried to make her own way to the door. She tightly wrapped the strap of her hiraikotsu around her hand and unsteadily stood to her feet.

Her legs collapsed beneath her before she had even reached the steps.

Sango had enough time to swing out her arm to catch her fall before she felt a strong arm gather itself around her waist. The young woman gasped as she was lifted into the air and carried, with great humility, into the building. She turned her eyes upward and glared at the youkai, who seemed disinterested in giving her any his attention any further than was necessary.

"Put me down" she rasped as they stepped into the decrepitated home.

With little ceremony Sesshoumaru released his grasp and she fell to the floor with a hard knock. Dust flew up into her face and she coughed violently as the lord walked past her and looked with little caring to his surroundings.

"Now you will tell me what I wish to know" he ordered as Sango struggled to regain some clean air.

The tajiki growled at the youkai's command as she struggled to her knees. Sango used her hiraikotsu for support as she nestled upon the floor as well as she could manage. She then cleared her throat and composed herself for her explanation.

Though she doubted he would believe such a fantastical tale.

"This was once my village" she carefully introduced the story. He appeared disinterested in hearing about her personal life, but she knew every detail was important to answer the questions he had asked. "A few days ago I had come to visit with my family when I found my ancestors had forsaken an important promise they had made to a youkai lord."

"How did you find this information?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"I followed the sound of a bell to a grave outside the walls" she explained. "There one of the dead told me about the curse which had been placed upon them because of their broken word." She hung her head in shame. "Now as the last of my village I have been ordered to fulfill that promise and break the curse."

"What youkai did they make this pact with?" he inquired in his monotone voice.

Sango looked at him in some surprise; perhaps he was treating her story seriously.

"I do not know" the young woman admitted as she shook her head. "I was not told."

"Where is this grave?" Sesshoumaru questioned as he turned toward the door.

"A small gate at the far end of the village" Sango informed as she pointed in the general direction. "The grave is past there."

Without another inquiry Sesshoumaru exited the home and left Sango alone with her thoughts. She sighed and tried to make herself as comfortable as she could, considering her inability to move and the dank atmosphere of the home. The young woman looked around at the walls which revealed the cracks as water seeped in from several holes in the wood.

The streams ran down the dirty floor, creating small rivers of mud which showed more clearly the filth of the house than even the layers of dust. Sango shook her head at the decay and pondered what would be her next move in her ill-thought plan.

If Sesshoumaru had not found her along the path, she doubted she would have made the journey even to the rock enclosure.

"Father would not want this" she softly reminded herself as she heavily sighed. The ruins of her father's house echoed her voice. "As the last of my village, I must find an answer to this curse."

The responsibility held in those words inspired her determination and she tried to recall any clue, any hint to what may have happened in the past to cause the mess of the today. She remembered the council with the old man, Arashi, and the discovery of the papers written by him those many years ago. The connection to Sesshoumaru was proving elusive, however, until her mind hit upon one of his questions.

"What youkai did they make the pact with" she quietly repeated aloud as she pondered the significance. Then her eyes widened in surprise and horror as she further recalled his own startling admission. "He spoke with his _father_" the woman remembered in shock. "Inu no Taisho."

"What of him?" a voice suddenly interrupted, startling her as she swiftly turned her head toward the door.

Sango's voice caught in her throat as Sesshoumaru stood in the door, his eyes softly glowing amidst the faint light from the fog which crept in behind him. His clothing, damp to his very skin, shimmered with an eerie brilliance.

His appearance, however, was not that which so greatly startled the seasoned tajiki. The very air around him felt different, as though some change had come over him.

And the expression on his face appeared to be not his own.

"You know, don't you?" she accused as he stepped silently into the room. She felt as though he were stalking her as he moved to stand before her. "You know Inu no Taisho was the youkai my ancestors made a pact with."

"Perhaps" was the only answer he gave.

His tone sent an unknown chill along Sango's skin. His usually impassive voice had been replaced by some hidden emotion bubbling just beneath the surface. She dared not release what beast lay at the heart of Sesshoumaru's change, but she could not forsake the sudden revelation she had experienced concerning this situation. The tajiki slowly brought her hiraikotsu closer to herself.

"Then what are you doing here? Why do _you_ have the mark on your wrist?" she questioned. "This matter shouldn't concern you at all."

"It does" Sesshoumaru bluntly replied as he began pacing around the young woman.

Sango watched him stalk her as though they were playing the game of prey and predator. She knew too well, however, how both parts were played and the tajiki would have none of this.

"What's happened to you?" she boldly questioned as she carefully watched his movements.

Sango looked about his person for signs of attack, but she could see nothing but damp clothing clinging to his skin.

Then something caught her eye as her gaze fell upon his tainted wrist.

The youkai now held two circles upon his wrist, and the second softly glowed amidst the darkness of the room.

"Sesshoumaru..." she hesitated as she pointed to his changed arm.

The lord slowly stopped his pacing to stop before the suspicious gaze of the young woman. Lightning struck, and for the single instance of light Sango watched as two personalities, the same and yet complete opposites, struggled against one another.

Then the brightness was gone and his golden eyes, haunting in the soft glow of the fog, looked down upon the tajiki with a strangely tender expression.

Their eyes met as the rain pattered down upon the roof. They were frozen for a moment, as though time itself had stilled for their benefit, and Sango was struck with a sudden realization as she realized whose presence she now knew.

"Inu no Taisho" she softly announced as she bowed her head slightly in respect.

The youkai was startled by the honorary title, but he did not argue the point. He merely returned her bow with one of his own.

"Why are you here, my lord?" Sango respectfully asked. "Why are you not resting?"

"The dead cannot rest with a promise unfulfilled" he slowly voiced.

The voice was that of Sesshoumaru, but the tone and emotions which lay beneath the surface were those of another.

"How can we break this curse?" Sango questioned, more eagerly this time. "How can we fulfill this promise?"

The lord didn't answer, he only kneeled down upon the dusty ground and raised the newly regenerated limb. Sango held still, both in shock and curiosity, as his powerful claws, strong enough to crush any human, softly stroked her cheek.

Then he slowly collapsed into her arms.


	8. Bound By the Pact

A/N: It's been too long...

**Bound By the Pact**

"Inu no Taisho!" Sango cried out as she caught his large form before he fell to the floor.

She tried to revive the youkai with a shake, but his great weight was all she could hold as she looked for signs of trouble. Her eyes moved to the mark upon his wrist and she noticed the new circle's light slowly fade into nothing, leaving another small mark.

Fortunately the spell was short and soon Sesshoumaru's eyes flitted open. He stared at her for a short time in a perplexed state until he shot up and she found him standing the distance of the room. His expression was a mix of utter disgust and a failed attempt at stoicism.

"It appears we have a similar problem" Sango commented, and she took his silence as agreement. "Perhaps...perhaps we should work together to rid our families of this curse."

"I do not need a human's help" the youkai snarled at her suggestion.

"Your father believes differently" she shot back in anger, and her head became light headed. She tried to rein in her emotions with a deep breath. "He spoke, through you, of a promise unfulfilled" she explained as she turned the conversation to the more pressing matter.

Sesshoumaru's expression eased somewhat and he allowed himself to look mildly interested at her information. The tajiki took his actions as a positive sign.

"My father was...foolish, in matters concerning humans" the lord briskly commented. "He would indeed approve of working with your kind, even with their weaknesses."

"We have more strength than you give us credit" Sango countered with a frown, though a curious expression crept into her face. "What weakness did you show to allow your father use of your body?" she inquired.

The sting hit its mark as the youkai lord himself scowled at her question. She was surprised when he deigned to answer.

"I ventured out of your village's walls and found a skull lying upon the ground" he lightly informed. "I felt myself drawn to the object and reached out to touch the item."

"A skull..." Sango murmured as the item recalled some vague memory. Then she remembered her own previous experience with the forgotten skull. "I, too, touched the skull" she informed as she looked down at her wrist. "It gave me this mark, the same as yours." The young woman turned her gaze to her companion. "How did you come by your mark?" she inquired.

Sesshoumaru ignored her question, apparently shamed enough with his confession of weakness to the attraction of the skull. He instead began slowly pacing the room, though this time Sango felt now sense of the stalking she had known before when his body had been commandeered by Inu no Taisho.

"Were no records kept by your clan?" he asked as his eyes wandered around the wretched abode.

"There were some" the tajiki admitted as she nodded toward her father's study. "And I did find some articles related to the...incident, but nothing of use."

"I will judge for myself" he haughtily replied as he turned toward the suggested room.

"Do what you want" Sango countered with less energy than previous snipes. Her strength felt as if it were slipping from her body. "They are underneath the floor boards in one of the corners" she instructed.

Sesshoumaru promptly left her presence without another comment in the direction of the study and Sango was left to muse in her own thoughts. She could hear soft noises as he no doubt shuffled through the paperwork she had left on the table, but all her mind could focus on was how tired her body felt.

The tajiki, accustomed through training for fatigue and taught to recognize weakness through infirmity, could scarcely lie to herself about her condition. She knew her illness was growing worse, no doubt exasperated by the marks on her hand.

Sango raised her cursed wrist and peered at the symbols to concentrate her focus. They appeared dimin the lack of light, but she could clearly make out the three circles standing out amidst the animal symbol. With but two rings on Sesshoumaru's wrist, she knew her own curse to be further along toward what end she knew not.

A sudden chill swept over Sango's body as her shaking hand flexed and dropped her hiraikotsu. The clattering was loud amidst the silence of the room, but she hardly cared as she wrapped her arms around herself. In the damn darkness of the decrepit home she found her fever growing worse with every hour which ticked by.

Sango could hardly control the shaking as Sesshoumaru returned from his search. She knew he could not help but see the deteriorating condition she was in, though she doubted whether he would remain long enough to care what state her health became.

The tajiki's eyes trailed along his newly restored arm as she glimpsed the aged paperwork of her ancestor's tale in his hand. She knew he had questions which the parchment had not answered, but she had little faith she held the answers.

"What instructions were you given to break this curse?" he cooly demanded as he stood over her pathetic figure.

Sango blandly looked at him through fevered eyes as the weather outside worsened. Rain soaked the walls and inched toward her along the floor as she sat motionless and with her weapon lying uselessly to the side. She felt less inclined to share with him any sparse information she held, and at the rate of the illness she would be in no condition to care for herself soon, much less reply to his hostile questioning.

With sickness falling heavy upon her, the desolation of her childhood home surrounding her, and the discomfort of a hostile companion, Sango pondered whether she would soon collapse from the sheer weight of the circumstances.

The tajiki felt the pain before she saw the light blaze from her wrist.

The world, though illuminated by the fierce glow of her symbols, blurred and everything darkened around her until she could see no more. She still vaguely held the sense of pain from afar, but what dominated her senses was the presence of something entirely different invading her body and thoughts.

Sango pushed back against the onslaught of the intruding entity, but her meager efforts were repulse and she felt her consciousness shoved back into her mind.

Then she heard herself speak.

"Do not pretend to have power over me, demon" her voice spat at in a tone filled with indignation and anger. She felt her body rise up in a seated position, her back straight and proud with her chin lifted up. "You have no lordship to command me to reply to your questions."

The action of speaking without commanding the words terrified her as she struggled to fight against the other. The opposing side, however, appeared not to feel the weight of her illness nor the stinging pain of her wrist as it quietly brushed aside each effort.

The other had won.

"There are indeed false covers being played here, but not by this Sesshoumaru" the taiyoukai countered as he wearily watched this new creature.

The sting hit its mark.

"What insult do you mean to make?" the imposter replied as her fingers clenched. When he deigned not to answer her anger erupted. "What impudence!" she vehemently shouted to the empty world around them.

"No servants will answer your indignation" Sesshoumaru bluntly replied with an indifference expression on his face.

"It is not for a servant that I call, oh Lord of the Western Lands" she replied as a cocked smile slowly appeared on her lips.

Sango, feeling the smug attitude and the ease of her possessor, took advantage of the situation.

The young woman suddenly clutched at her throat as two souls again fought for control. One hindered by ill weakness of the living and another by the unfocused attitude of the dead. The body was wracked with spasms as the taiyoukai watched on with a mix of curiosity and revulsion.

He was curious who would win.

Sesshoumaru was startled when the eyes lifted to see into his own, and he found two reflections of himself in their depths. Two personas with different motives, two souls in a single body with each reflected in one eye.

He was grateful when her gaze broke from his as she turned her head down to choke out bile. The liquid which emerged was tinted with a red stain.

After a long moment, a point where the body appeared to be straining the entirety of its muscles to the breaking point, the woman finally collapsed to the floor. She lay still for several seconds, unmoving and still as the grave.

For a moment Sesshoumaru contemplated whether the wretched woman had not entered that state, but her fingers twitched, disproving his theory. He watched unhelpful as she struggled to remove herself from the mess of her own making which lay on the floor. She coughed, a dry, scratching sound, as her trembling arms barely lifted her frame from the grotesque muck.

"No more questions" Sango quietly demanded as a wave of fever shook her body. "No more games. No more..."

The words trailed off as she spilled over onto her side, her chest heaving to achieve enough air to encourage her lungs to move. Sesshoumaru, somewhat startled by her sudden fit of unconsciousness, felt an emerging emotion very seldom felt.

Pity.

"Useless" he spoke to himself as he stooped down to pick up the small frame of a woman.

Even he couldn't tell himself whether the word was directed at the emotion or another target, but he didn't trouble himself as he moved her trembling body to the few cushions which were not rotten. The taiyoukai removed his outer clothing and settled itself upon her cold shoulders.

Her forward felt warm as his hand brushed across her damp hair, still soaked from their journey to this village of forgotten times. Memories, people, even purpose were now discarded, only they remained to remember what had occurred in this place.

And the silent witnesses you stood watch at their burial.

Sesshoumaru looked out the window, battered and without cover as rain did its best to pour into the crumbling building. He could not see the gate which led to the graves of those restless souls, but he could sense them watching. They were waiting for their freedom, and he pondered whether the release would come at the price of their sanity.

Or their deaths.

His thoughts were distracted by the woman who groaned beneath where he stood. Something would have to be done to remedy her ailment, or she would be of no use to him in this already trying situation.

He would need to consult a physician versed in human remedies, as his knowledge of medicine was strictly limited to youkai remedies. The absence would be brief, and he could only make small comforts for her body until his return.

Sesshoumaru stepped up to the room's exit, and for a moment he pondered turning to glimpse the female one last time.

The idea was brushed aside as the urgency of the situation demanded swift action, and without a sound he vanished from the building out into the storm.

To face the perils of nature's wrath to save the life of a human.


End file.
